Legacy of TrappedClan
A special thanks to Blade for helping me with editing! 'Allegiances' TrappedClan LEADER DARKSTAR- sleek black tom with piercing blue eyes and two white spots on his left front paw. DEPUTY BLAZE- golden she-cat with over-dramatically visible muscles and pale green eyes. MEDICINE CAT LEAFPOOL- light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes, and a white chest/paws/tail-tip. She was allowed to stay the medicine cat. PUREBLOODS BRUTAL- a huge blue-grey tom with amber eyes and pale grey stripes. POUNCER- calico she-cat with yellow eyes and a white tail-tip. BLACK- pure black she-kit with blue eyes. Darkstar's kit. SPLASH- black-and-white tom kit with blue eyes. Darkstar's kit. LIFEBLOOD- white she-kit with gray eyes. Darkstar's kit. TORAK- white tom with patches of storm gray and blue eyes. '''SIREN- dark brown tom with green eyes. STORM- dark gray tom with green eyes; Siren's brother. More Coming Soon 'Prologue' A Night is broken by cries of cats in pain. A storm breaks out with blood-stained rain. A Clan Rises. Darkness Falls. :A night that never should have happened. Of course, you think that is just my opinion. But you will find that you are very wrong. Even StarClan forbade this night from happening, but sometimes even StarClan cannot control a growing darkness. :A sleek black cat with eyes of blue and a pelt soaked with the blood of his enemies jumped onto a large grey tree that shone in the moonlight. His face was twisted with malice, and his eyes were full of a dangerous pleasure. He observed the cats in the clearing, who were staring up at him with fear so thick he could smell it. :A few of the cats below him were staring at the three bodies at the foot of the Great Tree, devastated beyond word. The bodies that lay there, torn and slumped, were the bodies of three of the leaders of the Four Clans... the leaders who had once ruled over the gaping cats. But the thought that the fire of the Four Clans was vanquished pleased the black cat, and it pleased the cats he ruled over, of course. :"I am your leader now." He sneered at the beaten, battle-scarred cats. "Does anyone deny that?" he asked, daring them to challenge him. :Only one cat stepped forward. His fur was the color of fresh forest soil, and his eyes were usually bright and amber, but the recent battle had dulled them. "I deny it!" he snarled, his fur bristling. :The black cat was surprised at the brown tabby's foolish bravery. He leaped from the tree and approached the cat, his back arched, looking many times larger. "What did you say, slave?" he snarled into the cat's face, hoping to gain his fear. But the cat did not flinch, and looked more defiant then ever. :"My name is Brambleclaw!" The cat's voice rang across the clearing. "And I said I deny it." :The Black cat smiled evilly, showing rows of sharpened teeth. "Well, Brambleclaw, I admire you speaking up for you little 'friends'. Such bravery and devotion needs to be rewarded...." Darkstar pounced on Brambleclaw's back, his cruel claws digging into Brambleclaw's spine. Brambleclaw tried to shake him off, but Darkstar clung to him like a burr. :"I'm not being beaten so easily!" Brambleclaw yowled, and smashed his back into the ground, crushing Darkstar along with it. But Darkstar wriggled free and faced Brambleclaw again, seemingly unscathed. :"Good move," Darkstar mocked. "Where did you learn that, in play-fights with kits?" :Brambleclaw cried with rage and charged towards his opponent, but Darkstar nimbly avoided the attack, and Brambleclaw charged head-first into the Great Tree. He was stunned briefly, but not briefly enough. Darkstar was upon him like a rabbit, and he opened his jaws wide, burying them into the back of Brambleclaw's neck. Brambleclaw shook himself pitifully, but his movements were slow and clumsy, and Darkstar could hold on to him with no problem whatsoever. :"No!" A fiery colored she-cat with a swollen belly rushed in Brambleclaw's direction, but two of Darkstar's guards pinned her onto the ground. She thrashed feebly beneath them, but she was too late to stop Darkstar. An earsplitting CRACK was already echoing around the hollow. Bramblestar fell from Darkstar's jaws, ragged and dead like a mangled piece of fresh-kill. Several of Darkstar's cats yowled with triumph. :Darkstar licked the blood off his paws gingerly as the former Clan cats looked horrified. "This is what will happen to any''one who questions me. And I mean ''any''one," he said. He searched the cats' faces. "Does anyone else deny my leadership?" His words were greeted with absolute silence. Squirrelflight let out a thin wail. :Darkstar spat on Brambleclaw's body. "Get this body out of here and dump it in the lake," he ordered two of his cats. "And get this screaming she-cat out of here. And, Brutal, could you round up the remaining prisoners?" :Brutal nodded. "They'll be in your prison before you know it!" he said, with somewhat of a cruel glint in his eye. "Hey, Pouncer! Help me round up this band of sorry crow-food eaters, will you?" :A calico she-cat answered his call. "It would be my pleasure, Brutal," she said, advancing upon the prisoners and licking her chops. :Darkstar watched mercilessly as the former clan cats were bitten and scratched until they were in a perfect circle, with ''his cats surrounding them. Some cats begged for mercy, but even in the deepest depths of his heart, mercy was not something Darkstar possessed. He jumped back up onto the tree and scraped his claws on the bark beneath him, lifting them so that they glinted evilly in the moonlight. He scanned the clearing to make sure he had the cats' full attention, and proceeded to yowl out a single sentence: "Welcome to the Dark Forest living!" 'Chapter One: Those Below Serving Those Up Above' :"Mama, why do we always have to serve them? They're kits, just like I am!" :Squirrelflight sighed. She was questioned like this by her only child almost every day. "It's because they're Purebloods, remember, Leopardkit?" Squirrelflight said, exasperated. :"That's right," snarled Black, Darkstar's kit. Her eyes were a piercing blue, just like her father's, and Squirrelflight could feel her hot gaze. "We're not FourClan Cats. I mean, we weren't FourClanners like you were." She glared at Leopardkit until Leopardkit whimpered. :Black's brother, Splash, yawned as Leopardkit stuffed more moss into his already soft bed. "Hey, servant, get me a fat, juicy rabbit, will you?" He spoke to Squirrelflight as if she were an apprentice. "And, kit-servant, will you get some more moss? This bed isn't nearly as comfortable as it should be." :Squirrelflight had the urge to clout his ear and tell him what a spoiled brat he was, but she had no choice but to obey him. She was a servant. A nameless servant who existed only to be ordered, and lived only to obey. :But it was not always like this..., she thought bitterly. :But the kit's mew broke her thoughts. "Hurry up, servant! I'm hungry!" Splash whined. :The kit's guard poked his head in the den. "Is everything alright, kits?" he said gently. :"This servant won't bring me my food fast enough, and I'm HUNGRY!" he mewled. :The guard padded over to Squirrelflight, and before she could defend herself, he slashed her ear. "Next time, pick up the pace, or I will report you to Darkstar!" :Darkstar. The murderer of her mate. The word instantly flipped the switch in Squirrelflight's mind to obey at all costs. Darkstar was a brutal, merciless cat, and the name itself controlled her. The pain in her ear dulled by the fear, she bowed low to the guard. "I will do it immediately, Siren." :Siren nodded, looking pleased, and slunk out of the den. :Leopardkit padded over to Squirrelflight, completely unsurprised. Being beaten by the guards had become such a normal thing for Leopardkit to see, and that broke Squirrelflight's heart. "Mama, why are they so mean?" she asked calmly, her soft brown eyes unblinking. :Squirrelflight didn't know what to say. She felt a sob rising in her throat, and gurgled out an indecipherable response. :Darkstar's third kit, a white kit with gray eyes, cocked her head to one side. "You may go." she said in her soft voice. :Squirrelflight nodded, thanking StarClan- or what remained of StarClan- for the break, and padded away, Leopardkit at her heels. "Mother, I understand you are upset, but... why now?" she asked curiously. "I just asked why they were mean." :"It's not that," Squirrelflight said, finding her voice again. "Now, you run along," she said more briskly. "I'm going to go grab something for Flea." :Leopardkit looked confused, but then nodded and scurried away. Squirrelflight sighed, and allowed tears to fall from her eyes. She was thankful that Leopardkit left before they fell. She would never forgive herself if Leopardkit were to see her like this. :She walked submissively over to the prey pile, which was guarded by two fierce-looking cats. :"What do you want?" One of them snarled. "Prey? Servants don't get any prey, runt." :Squirrelflight shook her head. "I was assigned to feed the prisoners." It was a risky move, but she had to try. :Surprisingly enough, the other guard stepped away. "Only two pieces, y'hear me? Two pieces. The rest are for the Purebloods." :Squirrelflight bent down and grabbed two dead mice. She dipped her head to the guards and carried the prey to the prisoners den, for the cats whose only wrong was to enter this thwarted world. 'Chapter Two: Flea' :Flea was a raggedy old rogue with flea-bitten skin, and her grayed fur gave away her age. She proved to be an easy opponent when the torturous cats caught her in their so-called "territory". Ever since she was a kit, she had heard tales of honored Clans of cats living by the huge lake, and that these cats were as loyal as lions and were the wise guardians of the forest. What happened to those cats? Why is this Clan so cruel? :"Flea?" someone meowed. Flea shivered as a cold wind blew in, and turned around. Her face lit up with delight, which was rare. :"Squirrel!" Flea meowed. "How nice to see you! Did you bring something for old Flea, then?" :Squirrelflight nodded and pawed at her two mice. "Of course! Since when don't I bring you prey?" she said. "And it's Squirrel''flight'', remember?" she reminded Flea. :Flea sighed. "Sorry, dearie. As rogues, none of my parents ever had fancy names like so." she said. :"Understandably." Squirrelflight said, sneaking a bite out of one of the mice. :Flea stood in front of the mice. "Leave them alone! They're my food!" She joked. :Another guard, Storm, jumped in. "So, let me see. A prisoner and a servant, fooling around? Well, I'm going to put an end to that.. with my teeth!" he said evilly, his face grinning with corruption. :Storm grabbed Flea's scruff and flung her into the den wall. She shrieked as she hit the cold stone and fell, looking broken. Squirrelflight winced when the guard charged into her shoulder, but she did not dare make any noise. :Storm grunted, and walked back to his post. "Hope that'll teach you a lesson," he growled. :Squirrelflight ran by Flea's side and spat in Storm's direction. "Disgusting coward!" she growled, just quiet enough so the guard could not hear. :"Agreed," Flea croaked. She looked up at Squirrelflight. "Please don't worry about me," she rasped. "I'll be fine. You'll just get in trouble again if you stay." :Squirrelflight shook her head. "But..." :"But nothing! Just go, please," Flea said sharply. :"All right, but if you need anything..." :"Go!" ---- :Squirrelflight dashed out of the den, her concern for Flea melting away to anger. Why did it have to be like this? Why did there have to be so much abuse? It wasn't fair. But she knew she couldn't stay angry; what if Leopardkit saw? :Be strong, for Leopardkit! But the encouraging words were shattered by a voice that made her blood chill. :"Wait." 'Chapter Three: Guilt' :Squirrelflight turned around, her belly churning. And she saw the face she had hoped would not be behind her: the face of Darkstar. His deputy, Blaze, sat beside him, a smirk written on her face. :A fire began to burn in Squirrelflight's stomach, replacing the churning fear. You were the one who stole my place as deputy! She thought with rage. I will get my place back; just you wait, Blaze. :Darkstar's gaze was colder than the middle of Leaf-bare. As soon as he licked his chops and showed his blood-stained teeth, she knew she was in trouble. "So, servant, are we stealing prey now?" :Squirrelflight swallowed, and prayed to StarClan that this would work. "I am taking prey to the prisoners, your majesty," Squirrelflight said, trying to keep her voice even. :Darkstar looked interested. "Really? And who asked you to do that, servant?" he said, his eyes narrowed. :"I... it... Pouncer told me to!" Squirrelflight blurted out the she-cat's name, unsure of what else to say. "I did not disobey... I only did what I was told, your Majesty." Squirrelflight said, trembling. :Darkstar looked surprised. Truly surprised, not his normal mock surprise. "Pouncer? Really?" he said, quickly catching himself before anyone else could notice. Darkstar fell silent, trying to find words . "Well," he said at last, "Thank you for telling me this, servant. Carry on." :Squirrelflight couldn't help feeling anxious. Whenever Darkstar had that look, It usually meant a plot was brewing inside his StarClan-forsaken skull. :Squirrelflight backed away slowly, bowing as she did so. Darkstar was pleased with her respect. He snorted and walked away, and Blaze was at his heels like a Kittypet.